Q: What factors influenced your decision to pursue veterinary medicine as a career?
A: My life-long passion for animals. Because I lived in Argentina and wildlife medicine was not an option in vet school thirty years ago, my passion and interests were initially placed on horses, my favorite domestic species. Yet I never lost hope that I would someday, somehow, develop a career with wildlife as my target.
Q: What did you like about attending the Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires?
A: That it was a relatively small school and in a rural setting. I was close to nature and animals (I had my horses with me and could even ride them to class!). Also, the size of the school and classes allowed for personalized and frequent interactions with teachers and more opportunities for getting involved in apprenticeships, research, and teaching. Finally, the focus of the school was on large animals and herd medicine, my primary interests at the time.
Q: What would be an interview question you would ask an applicant applying to veterinary school?
A: The world is changing at a rapid pace, with wildlife and wild places increasingly affected by human actions. As a veterinarian, what could you do to mitigate human impact on wildlife health and wellbeing?
Q: How did you make yourself stand out as an applicant to veterinary school?
A: When I got my degree there wasn’t an application process for vet school in Argentina (the total population of Argentina, even today, is lower than that of the state of California, so the process is much less competitive than in the US). In my time, if you worked hard and you maintained a high academic performance you were able to complete your studies.
Personally, I worked very hard at being at the top of my class and from the onset volunteered in several school departments as well as in private veterinary clinics in town to gain hands-on experience. I also volunteered for a few conservation NGOs during school-year and in my summer vacations, which were instrumental in my final connection with wildlife and led to my current career path.
Q: What are you passionate about in terms of your specialty in wildlife medicine?
A: I am passionate about wildlife and about conservation. I enjoy problem-solving and being able to turn science into action. My focus is not on individual creatures, but rather on conservation medicine and ecosystem health. I have been lucky to be one of the first veterinarians in Latin American focusing solely on these fields for my entire career.
Q: What do you want the attendees to leave with after your presentation at the conference this October?
A: A passion for veterinary medicine, a glimpse into the broad, exciting and rewarding field of wildlife and ecosystem health, and the conviction that if they work hard they will get where they want.
Don't miss the opportunity to meet Dr. Uhart in person at the conference on Sunday, October 11 at the conference!